Avoiding Apex of Steep Drive

[SteveWalmsley]

I'm picking up my first motorhome next week (Rapido 8096df) and I am getting very concerned about our drive. The drive is straight and wide enough but the first section is quite steep. In fact, the pavement goes up slightly from the road before the slope goes down.

 

I've done a couple of experiments to try to understand the clearance required for the van's wheelbase of 4.3m. First, using a couple of 12 " rulers, a 5 metre tape measure and a volunteer wife to simulate the wheels and underside. It looks less 8" clearance or less would hit the drive. Secondly, the Tesco delivery van has about a 4m wheelbase so I got the driver to drive slowly down the slope while I checked the clearance. That also gave the result that 8" or less would be a problem.

 

So first question is does anyone have a Rapido 8096df and do they know the mid-wheelbase clearance? I've asked the dealer to check (as they are in UK and I am in Isle of Man) but they haven't got back to me yet. Besides, probably better to have the information about a motorhome in use, rather than an empty one.

 

Second question. Assuming I have a problem here and the motorhome will hit the drive, what are my options to solve it? I've thinking that a pair of ramps about 2m down the slope would keep the front wheels high enough to solve the clearance problem until the back wheels are close to the top of the slope, but I have no idea where to source something like that or even if it would work.

 

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions.

 

Thanks

 

 

[StuartO]

It's been the opposite sort of problem which causes grounding in my experience, i.e. the towbar hitch grounds because of the take off angle at the start of a steep rise, rather than the convex cresting curve, although obviously an extreme of either is ultimately capable of causing difficulty. My Hymer B674 is 7 metres long and has never grounded between the axles. Unless you have something like an underfloor gas tank installed, I suspect you'll be fine.

[SteveWalmsley]

I don't have a tow bar on the motorhome, so I will at least avoid that problem. There is a rear overhang of about 1.8m. Looking at photos of the motorhome (many, many photos!) I didn't see any obstructions under the rear. In fact, I can't figure out where the exhaust is :)

[pepe63xnotuse]

Hi..

Not knowing what your new Rapido looked like I've just had a quick Google..and if I'm looking at the correct van, it appears to have a pretty decent amount of ground clearance..

 

My one concern(because it was the case with our previous van)would be with one of the rear corners bottoming out as you pull on/up..?

Ours would occasionally touch on one corner when pulling up/into our very steep drive..but fitting air assisters to the rear springs(and keeping it all lifted an inch or two) sorted it.

 

Our van looked a lot lower than the images of yours that I've found though...

 

The problem with ramps, unless they are secured down somehow, they are likely to just move around or get spat out by the wheels..

[colin]

Which wheels does it have? Hopefully you have ordered it on the heavy chassis and it will have the 16" wheels. The main problem you are likely to have will be clearance on exhaust which odds on will exit the side of van on opposite side to habitation door, and the leading edge of habitation door step, that's assuming Rapido haven't done anything stupid.

[SteveWalmsley]

It is the lightweight chassis but it does have 16" wheels. I did notice something on the pictures on the opposite side to the door, so that probably is the exhaust.

[laimeduck]

If you find eventually that you have the clearance between the wheels, you can possibly mitigate the overhang problem, if it exists at all, by reversing onto the drive,

 

I have to do this with my motorbike when wheeling it up the ramp into the motorhome garage. The handlebars will not clear the door if it is wheeled in frontways, but are no problem if it is reversed.

 

As far as the mid wheel clearance is concerned, a couple or four of strategically cemented pavers for both back and front wheels should raise the wheels sufficiently to clear the problem. (Experiment with eg bits of scaffold board first to work out the best position).

 

I remember in the mid/late 1950's my father chipping away with hammer & chisel for weeks at the concrete floor of the garage to make two troughs so that he could put his Dormobile in. It was too tall to clear the door, so he dug out two banana shaped channels by hand. No electric tools in those days - just blisters and cuts - but it worked.

[SteveWalmsley]

laimeduck - 2020-03-03 5:55 PM

As far as the mid wheel clearance is concerned, a couple or four of strategically cemented pavers for both back and front wheels should raise the wheels sufficiently to clear the problem. (Experiment with eg bits of scaffold board first to work out the best position).

 

Unfortunately, we are renting so I can't make any permanent alterations. That does give us the alternative of moving somewhere else :) but I considered the ramp as a alternative. Maybe something like this to provide another 3" of height. Actually meant for escape when stranded but could serve dual purpose.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhino-Recovery-Tracks-Traction-Bridging/dp/B07FPB1VXB/ref=sr_1_108?crid=13LUL065QYSKF&keywords=motorhome+ramps&qid=1583254956&sprefix=motorhome+ramps%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-108

[colin]

The 16" wheels will help, and if necessary you can built or fit 'speed cushions' a couple of metres past 'bump'.

Your main problem might well turn out to be lack of payload on the light chassis.

p.s. crossed over you last post, you can get 'bolt down' speed bumps, which your landlord might allow.

[SteveWalmsley]

colin - 2020-03-03 6:03 PM

 

The 16" wheels will help, and if necessary you can built or fit 'speed cushions a couple of metres past 'bump..

Your main problem might well turn out to be lack of payload on the light chassis.

p.s. crossed over you last post, you can get 'bolt down' speed bumps, which your landlord might allow.

 

I didn't even know there was such as thing as bolt down speed cushions so that is really helpful. I'll check with the landlord.

 

Its plated as 3650 as I have an older licence so we have 500kg+ as payload.

[Derek Uzzell]

I believe that a Rapido 8096df is offered on a Fiat Ducato ‘light’ AL-KO chassis with two possible maximum overall weights - 3500kg or 3700kg, or on a Fiat Ducato ‘heavy’ AL-KO chassis with a maximum overall weight of 4400kg.

 

The time-honoured ploy to temporarily gain additional ground clearance would be to retro-fit an ‘air assistance’ system to the rear suspension with a air-compressor that could be operated by the driver when the need arose. But this is an expensive proposition when a motorhome has an AL-KO chassis.

 

[SteveWalmsley]

Derek Uzzell - 2020-03-03 6:44 PM

 

I believe that a Rapido 8096df is offered on a Fiat Ducato ‘light’ AL-KO chassis with two possible maximum overall weights - 3500kg or 3700kg, or on a Fiat Ducato ‘heavy’ AL-KO chassis with a maximum overall weight of 4400kg.

 

Yes, that is correct, although it was 3650 rather than 3700. Not sure if that has changed recently or it is a UK requirement. The order form and the registration doc both have 3650 kg. It is a new vehicle.

[Bop]

SteveWalmsley - 2020-03-03 6:10 PM

 

colin - 2020-03-03 6:03 PM

 

The 16" wheels will help, and if necessary you can built or fit 'speed cushions a couple of metres past 'bump..

Your main problem might well turn out to be lack of payload on the light chassis.

p.s. crossed over you last post, you can get 'bolt down' speed bumps, which your landlord might allow.

 

I didn't even know there was such as thing as bolt down speed cushions so that is really helpful. I'll check with the landlord.

 

Its plated as 3650 as I have an older licence so we have 500kg+ as payload.

 

Hi Steve, your van has a MIRO of 3,125kg which includes a 75kg driver, one gas bottle, 90% fuel and 20-litres of water.

 

You've mentioned a 500kg payload if plated at 3,650kg but don't forget that the following items also need to be removed from your payload figure (if fitted):

 

UK and RHD Packs.

Oven and carpets etc.

Awnings, solar, aerial, TV, extra hab batteries bike racks,

Alde heating.

Upgraded engine.

Auto box,

Certain alloy wheel upgrades.

Tow bars

Weight variations of the van up to 5% of original MIRO.

 

If you have this lot fitted then your payload could be very low @ 3,650kg and this excludes extra gas and fresh water.

 

Good luck,

 

Andrew

[SteveWalmsley]

colin - 2020-03-03 6:03 PM

Hi Steve, your van has a MIRO of 3,125kg which includes a 75kg driver, one gas bottle, 90% fuel and 20-litres of water.

 

You've mentioned a 500kg payload if plated at 3,650kg but don't forget that the following items also need to be removed from your payload figure (if fitted):

 

UK and RHD Packs.

Oven and carpets etc.

Awnings, solar, aerial, TV, extra hab batteries bike racks,

Alde heating.

Upgraded engine.

Auto box,

Certain alloy wheel upgrades.

Tow bars

Weight variations of the van up to 5% of original MIRO.

 

If you have this lot fitted then your payload could be very low @ 3,650kg and this excludes extra gas and fresh water.

 

Good luck,

 

Andrew

 

Yes, now you mention it I remember that the various extras added brought it to just over 3200 kg on the registration form, so payload is more around 425 kg - 450 kg. We don't have tow bars or bike racks, etc., but we do have upgraded engine, automatic, RHD pack, etc..

 

One thing I am not clear on is how often the weight is checked. Driving around in a car I have never seen motor-homes being pulled over for weight checks. How does the weight limit function in practical terms?

 

 

 

[bolero boy]

i dont know what your OH weighs but at a nominal 75kg and filling the tank with water (rather than 20ltrs) you could be losing another 175kg befroe youve turned a wheel...youre now down to 275kg for ALL your kit, tables, chairs, pots, pans, electrical items, tools, crockery, cutlery, beddind (surprisingly heavy), clothes (ditto), shoes, books/magazines, ipads/computers/phones, food etc, etc...

you might (just) manage at 3650kg but youll also need to be aware of the limitations of the rear axle on the light chassis at 2000kg...

running any van over 7m at 3500kg is tricky (and 'upplating' to 3650/3860 wont increase thise vulnerable axle weights)...doing it at 7.5m on a quality, double floored A-class must be tight to say the least.

as a comparison, our 6.4m Carthago (also slimmer than yours at only 2.12m wide) weighs 3420 and the axle weights are

Rear axle 1820kg (max 2000, spare 180kg)

Front axle 1600kg (max 1850, spare 250kg)

Gross 3420 kg (max 3500)

 

however, the MIRO of my van is 2825kg..thats 345kg less than your van....

ypull also see that our shorter van is well balance with the spare payload spread over both axles, your longer rear overhang will push more loading to the rear axle....

 

if i were you i would insist the dealer weigh the van now, with two people on board and a full tank of water and send you the axle weights....

 

i see you said you were running at 3650 as you had an 'older license'...but you need C1 to run at anything over 3500kg...

 

either ypu have this or you dont and if you do, then running on the heavy chassis will be far more reassuring.

 

however, if you are nearing 70 and think you could downplate back to 3500kg on this van then you will be in trouble as there is NO payload at this weight....

 

i agree with posts upthread, whilst the sloping drive is a pain, getting this van wrong weightwise will mean it could be just about unusable.....dont sign anything yet.....

[StuartO]

SteveWalmsley - 2020-03-03 9:11 PM

One thing I am not clear on is how often the weight is checked. Driving around in a car I have never seen motor-homes being pulled over for weight checks. How does the weight limit function in practical terms?

 

I haven't been stopped for a weight check during the 14 years we've had our current MH, indeed I haven't been stopped ever,nor seen a weight check stop in action. And the police probably don't have the resources or priorities these days to pick on MHs, so we're probably pretty safe from being caught. And i've read somewhere that if you're caught only 5 or 10% overloaded, you are merely told off and then allowed to proceed.

 

But most of us try to be law abiding and some do so obsessively - and standard MH suspensions (i.e. standard van suspensions) are not designed to operated overloaded or near overloaded all the time, which might account for the two broken front road springs I've suffered. (I fitted upgraded springs the second time this heppened and the ride now feels much better and I suspect I now have more redundancy in the load tolerance of my front suspension.) On my first MH, before I understood payoad at all, I suffered two blow-outs of rear tyres due to inadvertent overloading. There is certainly scope for ensuring that your MH's suspension is up to the job ((because some MHs are built to a price and may have a suspension and/or tyres which are quite vulnerable to overloading) and that you keep within your payload limits.

 

But may I tactfully suggest that you are a bit of a worrier and inclined to be a bit over-concerned about this issue? Take your new MH to a weighbridge once you have loaded it for touring, including fuel and water, and consider investing in HD front springs if you have a standard set of Fiat Ducato front springs, which you probably do. Some people also upgrade the rear suspension, although I haven't so far found that necessary. Then relax and enjoy your MH touring.

[Derek Uzzell]

SteveWalmsley - 2020-03-03 7:02 PM

 

Derek Uzzell - 2020-03-03 6:44 PM

 

I believe that a Rapido 8096df is offered on a Fiat Ducato ‘light’ AL-KO chassis with two possible maximum overall weights - 3500kg or 3700kg, or on a Fiat Ducato ‘heavy’ AL-KO chassis with a maximum overall weight of 4400kg.

 

Yes, that is correct, although it was 3650 rather than 3700. Not sure if that has changed recently or it is a UK requirement. The order form and the registration doc both have 3650 kg. It is a new vehicle.

 

The optional 3700kg chassis-weight figure I gave for the 8096df model came from Rapido’s 2019 model-year technical catalogue (a 3700kg weight option would be ’normal’ for a motorhome with an AL-KO chassis). However, I see from the current catalogue (link here)

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/0003556255db04734d127?authid=nFn096aMg5ao

 

that all 2020 model-year Rapidos built on a ‘light’ AL-KO chassis have an optional 3650kg maximum overall weight rather than 3700kg. As bop says, the ‘Unladen weight in running order’ for a 2020 model-year 8096df is given as 3125kg (for the 2019 model-year this was 3115kg).

 

The UK Pack for a 8096df adds 62kg, and opting for the 160 or 180 motor with “9-Speed” automatic transmission (which will include 16” alloy wheels and the ECO pack) adds a further 35kg. So that’s around 100kg of user-payload ‘lost’.

 

The chances of a motorhome being ‘weight checked’ in the UK are minimal. Checks are more common abroad (as this 2015 MHFun discussion indicates) but the chances are still fairly small unless it’s visibly plain that the vehicle is likely to be well overweiight.

 

The 8096df model is not small (7.49mL x 2.35mW x 2.89mH) and has a 130 litres fresh-water tank - and Rapido does not deliberately build light. As has been advised above, after you have taken delivery it would be a good idea to load up the vehicle to how you expect to normally operate it and take it to a weighbridge to check its overall weight and axle-loadings. Then you’ll know how much ‘spare’ payload you have or whether you may need to reduce weight by (say) travelling with a part-filled fresh-water tank. And, should you ever wish to adjust the motorhome’s ‘handbook’ tyre pressures (80psi front and rear) you’d need to know the axle-loading to do this safely. Or (as bolero boy has suggested) ask your dealership to get the motorhome weighed.

 

Replacing a Ducato’s front springs with heavier-duty versions was discussed in this 2015 forum thread

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/MAD-Coil-Springs-v-Goldschmitt-Coil-Springs-/38946/

 

but if a motorhome has no sign that its stance is unusually ‘nose-down’ or that its front springs are too soft, there’s no point contemplating fitting stronger front springs. Fiat will supply Rapido with a cowl-unit to which an AL-KO rear chassis will be added and Rapido will then convert the cowl-unit + AL-KO chassis into an A-class motorhome. There’s absolutely no reason to think that Fiat and Rapido might have failed to liaise over which front springs would be appropriate for (say) a 8096df model.

 

It is possible to obtain AL-KO replacement front strut/spring units for Ducato

 

https://www.alko-tech.com/en/al-ko-comfort-suspension-acs

 

but few motorhome owners will choose to do this unless they really need to.

 

[SteveWalmsley]

bolero boy - 2020-03-04 8:08 AM

 

i dont know what your OH weighs but at a nominal 75kg and filling the tank with water (rather than 20ltrs) you could be losing another 175kg befroe youve turned a wheel...youre now down to 275kg for ALL your kit, tables, chairs, pots, pans, electrical items, tools, crockery, cutlery, beddind (surprisingly heavy), clothes (ditto), shoes, books/magazines, ipads/computers/phones, food etc, etc...

you might (just) manage at 3650kg but youll also need to be aware of the limitations of the rear axle on the light chassis at 2000kg...

running any van over 7m at 3500kg is tricky (and 'upplating' to 3650/3860 wont increase thise vulnerable axle weights)...doing it at 7.5m on a quality, double floored A-class must be tight to say the least.

as a comparison, our 6.4m Carthago (also slimmer than yours at only 2.12m wide) weighs 3420 and the axle weights are

Rear axle 1820kg (max 2000, spare 180kg)

Front axle 1600kg (max 1850, spare 250kg)

Gross 3420 kg (max 3500)

 

however, the MIRO of my van is 2825kg..thats 345kg less than your van....

ypull also see that our shorter van is well balance with the spare payload spread over both axles, your longer rear overhang will push more loading to the rear axle....

 

if i were you i would insist the dealer weigh the van now, with two people on board and a full tank of water and send you the axle weights....

 

i see you said you were running at 3650 as you had an 'older license'...but you need C1 to run at anything over 3500kg...

 

either ypu have this or you dont and if you do, then running on the heavy chassis will be far more reassuring.

 

however, if you are nearing 70 and think you could downplate back to 3500kg on this van then you will be in trouble as there is NO payload at this weight....

 

i agree with posts upthread, whilst the sloping drive is a pain, getting this van wrong weightwise will mean it could be just about unusable.....dont sign anything yet.....

 

Too late! I signed in October :) I am picking it up next week.

 

Axles are 1850 and 2000. There is a weight limit in the garage of 150 KG I think, although a lot of space, but most of the equipment and storage space is between the axles. It is a fixed bed at the rear.

 

I am 54 and passed my test in 1983 so I have C1 and a a 7500 kg limit. C1E and D1E are on there as well, which takes me to 12,000kg with trailer.

 

There is a weighbridge a few miles away from my house so I will check the van once I get back to the island. We don't have a lot of outdoor gear, like bikes or kayaks, and electronics is probably a couple of laptops. Wine weight may be an issue :). It sounds like 3500 kg would have been very difficult but 3650 will be manageable with care.

[SteveWalmsley]

StuartO - 2020-03-04 8:12 AM

But may I tactfully suggest that you are a bit of a worrier and inclined to be a bit over-concerned about this issue?

 

You are probably right :) although I always feel better with as much information as possible. It is the things you don't realise you don't know that usually cause problems :)

[SteveWalmsley]

Derek Uzzell - 2020-03-04 8:26 AM

The optional 3700kg chassis-weight figure I gave for the 8096df model came from Rapido’s 2019 model-year technical catalogue (a 3700kg weight option would be ’normal’ for a motorhome with an AL-KO chassis). However, I see from the current catalogue (link here)

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/0003556255db04734d127?authid=nFn096aMg5ao

 

that all 2020 model-year Rapidos built on a ‘light’ AL-KO chassis have an optional 3650kg maximum overall weight rather than 3700kg. As bop says, the ‘Unladen weight in running order’ for a 2020 model-year 8096df is given as 3125kg (for the 2019 model-year this was 3115kg).

 

The UK Pack for a 8096df adds 62kg, and opting for the 160 or 180 motor with “9-Speed” automatic transmission (which will include 16” alloy wheels and the ECO pack) adds a further 35kg. So that’s around 100kg of user-payload ‘lost’.

 

The chances of a motorhome being ‘weight checked’ in the UK are minimal. Checks are more common abroad (as this 2015 MHFun discussion indicates) but the chances are still fairly small unless it’s visibly plain that the vehicle is likely to be well overweiight.

 

The 8096df model is not small (7.49mL x 2.35mW x 2.89mH) and has a 130 litres fresh-water tank - and Rapido does not deliberately build light. As has been advised above, after you have taken delivery it would be a good idea to load up the vehicle to how you expect to normally operate it and take it to a weighbridge to check its overall weight and axle-loadings. Then you’ll know how much ‘spare’ payload you have or whether you may need to reduce weight by (say) travelling with a part-filled fresh-water tank. And, should you ever wish to adjust the motorhome’s ‘handbook’ tyre pressures (80psi front and rear) you’d need to know the axle-loading to do this safely. Or (as bolero boy has suggested) ask your dealership to get the motorhome weighed.

 

Replacing a Ducato’s front springs with heavier-duty versions was discussed in this 2015 forum thread

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/MAD-Coil-Springs-v-Goldschmitt-Coil-Springs-/38946/

 

but if a motorhome has no sign that its stance is unusually ‘nose-down’ or that its front springs are too soft, there’s no point contemplating fitting stronger front springs. Fiat will supply Rapido with a cowl-unit to which an AL-KO rear chassis will be added and Rapido will then convert the cowl-unit + AL-KO chassis into an A-class motorhome. There’s absolutely no reason to think that Fiat and Rapido might have failed to liaise over which front springs would be appropriate for (say) a 8096df model.

 

It is possible to obtain AL-KO replacement front strut/spring units for Ducato

 

https://www.alko-tech.com/en/al-ko-comfort-suspension-acs

 

but few motorhome owners will choose to do this unless they really need to.

 

Thanks. That is all really useful information.

 

I ran though all the options on the order form and they come to 118 kg. However, there is also a solar panel (12kg) and an awning (27kg) fitted by the dealer, which takes up to 3282 kg. So payload is 368 kg. Add one wife and we are at 300 kg. Even with a full water tank and the 90% fuel from MIRO, that leaves 200 kg.

 

There will normally just be my wife and I on board and we intended to buy local, so we won't be carrying a large amount of food. The rest will be kitchen items, clothes, bedding, etc. We are also probably going to buy a Safari Chef for cooking (unless anyone has had a bad experience) and they don't seem to be very heavy.

 

We intend to use the van for sightseeing, leisurely evenings for food and wine, and camping on small sites or wild camping where permitted. We won't be carrying bikes, or surfboards, or any other outdoor sports gear (maybe a wind break), so we have ten heavy suitcase equivalents for the above.

 

Considering that most of the time the fuel and water won't be full, it sounds like I just need to be sensible and keep an eye on the weight. I live near a weighbridge with a £10 fee, so it won't be difficult to check occasionally.

 

Thanks everyone - I feel a lot happier after going through the details.

 

BTW the dealer came back with 9" as the clearance mid-wheelbase. Considering that is without some of the payload, the 8" requirement is looking a problem. I've ordered a couple of heavy duty escape tracks with a 10 tons weight limit. They are a metre long, 8" wide and 3" high. I'll put them before the apex and they should keep one set of wheels high enough to avoid a problem (I hope!).

[Derek Uzzell]

Assuming that you don't yet have the Fiat Ducato Owner Handbook for your motorhome, it is possible to display/download the handbook from the Fiat ‘elum’ website.

 

http://aftersales.fiat.com/elum/Home.aspx?id_language=2

 

You’d need to choose the Fiat Professional brand, then select “Ducato Base Camper MY20”, followed by “Owner Handbook”, “2020”, “March”. The most recent Handbook has a December 2019 issue-date, and includes information on the 9-speed automatic transmission and other goodies like ECO.

 

(It’s a big file - 15.7MB - and 288 pages, but it might help you familiarise yourself with the Fiat side of your motorhome so that you can focus more on the Rapido side when you take delivery.)

 

[colin]

A second gas bottle, cooking and dining gear, tv, books and guides, bedding, clothes, food and drink, outside chairs, and countless other 'bits and bobs, they all add up. Believe me, and others, you will struggle to keep inside weight limits. The odds on getting stopped are very low, we have only been stopped once in several decades of doing this, hopefully if stopped you will just have to dump the water.

[bolero boy]

because of the long overhang the vans weight might well be rear biased, and the issue will always be (for this type of van) hitting the rear axle limit, possibly before you can use all the payload...all large storage is at the rear..

due to the fulcrum effect, every kilo placed in the rear garage will exert far more than 1kg on the rear axle, possibly even 1.25kg or more, while removing the same from the front axle, like a see-saw.

yes, i agree with others that the chances of being stopped are slim.

however, if this van were weight biased say 45% front and 55% rear (not unrealistic given its proportions) your latest weight estimate of 3450kg (3650 minus the 200 'spare' payload) will give a rear axle weight loading of 1897kg, lets call it 1900kg for ease of calculation.

the maximum on this axle is 2000kg, however the 'spare' 100kg isnt 100 due to the leverage effect of the rear overhang...the spare might only be 75kg ish....

this is a pitifully low level in which to accommodate even the sparsest of touring loads...

bedding and clothing (and OH's shoes!) weigh far more than you think....

i wish you luck but there are some who might feel a van of this size, weight and proportions cant be run successfully on the light chassis...

perhaps the salesman can weigh it now and youll know if these proportions are in the ball park and you can extrapolate that up with your extra weight.

a rear bias any higher than 55% would pretty much erode your payload completely....in fact 58% loads the rear axle at 2001kg....despite appearing to have 200kg 'spare'.

again, good luck.

 

[plwsm2000]

I agree with everything that has already been said about the payload. If I were in your position with a marginal payload, I would really, really, really, REALLY insist that the dealer gets a weighbridge certificate showing both axle loads with the van completely empty (i.e no water, no driver and minimal fuel). You don't often get a chance to do this again without making a considerable effort.

 

As it will be completely empty, it gives you a reference (minimum) load for both axles. It is then much easier to calculate the real axle loads when the van is full. SV tech have a load calculator on their website [url=] http://www.svtech.co.uk/weight-checking/ [/url].

 

Note that you need to check both axles. With a big rear garage, it is quite easy to be under the gross vehicle mass but still be illegal by overloading one axle (usually the rear). Literally everything you put into the van will add something to the rear axle (even a proportion of the driver & passenger's weight).

 

The weights "as supplied" is also useful to have for legal reasons in case you have to reject the van as not fit for purpose (but hopefully it won't come to that!).

[Derek Uzzell]

A side-view photo of a Rapido 8096df is attached below.

 

Regarding weight distribution, although the motorhome has a reasonably long rear overhang, this is not out of proportion as the wheelbase (4.30 metres) is also long,

 

When empty it’s near certain that an 8096df’s front axle will carry a significantly higher percentage of weight than the rear axle, as the design places nothing particularly heavy towards the rear. I’d expect the waste-water tank to be behind the rear axle (as on my Rapido 640f), but there’s usually little difficulty emptying a waste-water tank regularly. As Steve’s comments indicate that the 150kg weight limit of the large rear garage is unlikely to be fully exploited, I believe the risk is small that in normal use the rear axle’s 2000kg load-maximum will be exceeded.

 

What should be plain from the photo is that the combination of the AL-KO chassis and the long wheelbase does result in the potential for the underside of the chassis to ground mid-wheelbase when the motorhome is driven over a ‘hump’ - which, of course, is what Steve was primarily concerned about.